🔤 Detailed Explanation of Greek and Latin Roots

Greek and Latin roots are the basic parts of words that come from the ancient Greek and Latin languages. These roots are important because many English words are formed by adding prefixes or suffixes to them. Understanding Greek and Latin roots helps Year 6 students to work out the meanings of unfamiliar words, making reading and writing easier and more fun.

For example, the Latin root “spect” means “to look.” Words like inspect, spectator, and spectacle all come from this root and have something to do with seeing or looking. The Greek root “tele” means “far” or “distant,” as in telephone (sound from far away) and television (seeing from far away).

Here are some common Greek and Latin roots used in English:

  • “bio” (Greek) means “life,” as in biology (the study of life).
  • “aqua” (Latin) means “water,” as in aquarium (a place for water animals).
  • “chrono” (Greek) means “time,” as in chronology (the order of events in time).
  • “port” (Latin) means “carry,” as in transport (to carry across).

To help identify these roots in different words, students can try activities such as:

  • Breaking down words into smaller parts to spot the root.
  • Using root word charts or flashcards to match roots with their meanings.
  • Creating word maps where the root is in the middle and related words branch out.
  • Playing word-building games by adding prefixes or suffixes to roots.

By practicing these methods, Year 6 learners can become confident in decoding new vocabulary and improve their comprehension skills.

📝 20 Examination-Style Questions with Answers on Greek and Latin Roots

  1. What does the root “bio” in the word “biology” mean?
    Answer: Life
    Explanation: “Bio” is a Greek root meaning life, so biology is the study of life.

  2. The word “telephone” contains the root “phon.” What does “phon” mean?
    Answer: Sound
    Explanation: “Phon” means sound, so a telephone carries sound over a distance.

  3. What does the Latin root “scrib” or “script” in “describe” mean?
    Answer: To write
    Explanation: “Scrib” means to write, so describe means to write or tell about something.

  4. If “geo” means earth, what does “geography” mean?
    Answer: The study of the earth
    Explanation: “Geo” is earth and “graphy” means writing or drawing, so geography is the study of the earth’s surface.

  5. The root “aqua” appears in “aquarium.” What does it mean?
    Answer: Water
    Explanation: “Aqua” is Latin for water; an aquarium is a place for water animals.

  6. “Auto” is a Greek root found in “autograph.” What does “auto” mean?
    Answer: Self
    Explanation: “Auto” means self, so an autograph is a person’s own signature.

  7. What is the meaning of the root “tele” in “television”?
    Answer: Far or distant
    Explanation: “Tele” means far; television shows images from a distance.

  8. The word “manual” has the Latin root “man.” What does “man” relate to?
    Answer: Hand
    Explanation: “Man” means hand; manual means done by hand.

  9. What does the root “photo” mean in “photograph”?
    Answer: Light
    Explanation: “Photo” is light, so a photograph is a picture made using light.

  10. In the word “inspect,” what does the root “spect” mean?
    Answer: To look or see
    Explanation: “Spect” means to look, so to inspect is to look carefully.

  11. The root “chrono” in the word “chronology” means what?
    Answer: Time
    Explanation: “Chrono” means time; chronology is the order of events in time.

  12. What does the Latin root “port” in the word “transport” mean?
    Answer: To carry
    Explanation: “Port” means to carry; transport means to carry something from one place to another.

  13. The root “form” in “transform” means what?
    Answer: Shape
    Explanation: “Form” means shape; to transform is to change shape.

  14. “Vid” or “vis” is a root in “visual.” What does it mean?
    Answer: To see
    Explanation: “Vid/Vis” means see, so visual relates to seeing.

  15. What does the root “dict” mean in the word “predict”?
    Answer: To say or speak
    Explanation: “Dict” means say; predict means to say what will happen.

  16. The root “ject” in “eject” means what?
    Answer: To throw
    Explanation: “Ject” means throw; eject means to throw out.

  17. What is the meaning of “ced” in the word “recede”?
    Answer: To go or move
    Explanation: “Ced” means to go; recede means to move back.

  18. The root “bene” in “benefit” means what?
    Answer: Good or well
    Explanation: “Bene” means good; benefit is something good.

  19. What does the root “rupt” mean in “interrupt”?
    Answer: To break
    Explanation: “Rupt” means break; interrupt means to break the flow.

  20. The root “therm” in “thermal” means what?
    Answer: Heat
    Explanation: “Therm” means heat; thermal relates to heat or temperature.

These questions help you determine the meanings of Greek and Latin root words and improve your understanding of English vocabulary!